Clothes-pin.



G. G. MELHARI CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-24,1917. I

1,245,756. PatentedNdv. 6,1917.

WITNESSES INVENTOR C TGMQMJ UNITED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

GEORGE GOTTLIEB MELHART, OF SUMNER, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGE I). LIVESLEY, 0F {ifUlVIlWIilR WASHINGTON.

CLOTHES-PIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed January 24, 1917. Serial No. 144,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Go'r'rmne Mnnrmn'r, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Sumner, in the county of Pierce and State of Vashington, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Pin, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Hy invention relates to clothespins of the clamp type and adapted to be mounted permanently on clotheslines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive clamp which can be operated easily with one hand.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pin embodying my invention; v

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

The clothespin comprises two independent members 1 and 5 each shaped of suitable wire. The member 4 is formed of one continuous wire which presents at one end a round loop 6 which forms a aw. The loop 6 extends from eyelets 7 downwardly with reference to the clothesline 8, which is formed of wire. and which constitutes the fulcrum for the member at. The arms 9 of the member which extend from the eyelets each terminates with a small loop 10. The ends of the arms at the loop are so bent as to form a depression 11, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter. The memher 5 is also formed of a-single wire, so as to present a pointed jaw 12 which may protrude through the jaw 6 of the member 4. The jaw 12 extends from eyelets 13 which are exterior of the eyelets 7 and engage the wire 8 which forms the fulcrum for the member 5. The arms 1% of said member also terminate with small loops 15.

A U-shaped metallicwire member 16 is anchored with the ends thereof to the eyelets 15 of the arms 14. At the base said U-shaped member 16 has a loop 17 whereby said U member may be moved. The base of said U-shaped member encompasses the arms 9 of the member 4. The said member 16 constitutes a catch which snaps into the de pression 11 when the jaws 6 and 12 interlock. The length of said member 16 is such that the arms of the two members 1 and 5 are slightly stressed when the catch 16 is engaging the depression 11 in the arms 9. The stressing of the arms also binds the eye lets 7 and 13 of the members 4 and 5 respectively to the wire 8, and thereby locks said clothespin to the clothesline at the point where the two members are locked together.

To disengage the two members, and therefore to disengage anything clasped or pinched between the jaws 6 and 12, the loop 17 of the member 16 is pressed downward. The distance between the eyelets 15 and the eyelets 7 being less than the distance between the eyelets 15 and the recesses 11, the two members 4 and 5 will release under the action of gravity anything engaged therebetween.

I claim:

1. A clothespin of the clamp type, comprising two wire members each presenting a jaw, which are adapted to interlock, and arms separated from the jaws by eyelets, said eyelets being adapted to engage a clothesline, and a U-shaped wire strap hinged to the arms of one of the members and encompassing with the bottom thereof the arms of the other member, the length of the sides of said U-shaped strap being greater than the distance of the eyelets of said members to the hinge of the strap whereby said jaws are free to part when the loop bottom is moved to the eyelets along the arms of the other member, said arms of the other member having depressions for catching the strap whereby the jaws are locked in the interlocked position.

2. A clothespin of the clamp type, comprising two members each presenting a jaw, which are adapted to interlock, arms and eyelets between the arms and thejaws, means engaging the eyelets and forming the fulcrum for said members, and a catch hinged to the arms of one of said members and encompassing the other, means at the end of said other arms preventing said catch from separating from said arms said arms llfl'f'lilg a depression near the ends for receiving "the catch so as to stress said arms i stain the jaws in interlocked posiihe length 01 said catch being greater i the distance from the fulcrum of said menwers to the hinge of said catch, whereby in swinging said catch toward the fulcrum along the arms of said other member the jaws are allowed i0 part.

GEORGE GOTTLIEB MELHART. ll itnesses H. G. Comss, C. R. CORYELL.

Copies of this gatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 3). G. 

